Mowing-machine



(No Model.)

J. 0 BLOOM.

I MOWING MACHINE. No. 369,225. Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. BLOOM, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE EMERSON, TALOOTT& COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

MOWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,225, dated August30, 1887.

Application filed November 15, 1686. Serial No. 218,856. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BLOOM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kalamazoo, county of Kalamazoo, and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Mowing-Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide a mowing-machine with certainmeans whereby the weight of the cutter-bar and couplingarm to which itis hinged is largely or entirely sustained by the draft-power oftheteam.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a planView of a mowingmachine to which the invention is applied;

and Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, in perspective, of the draftdevices.

The tongue 13 and the cutter-bar D are broken in both figures of thedrawings. It is well known that owing to the great weight of thecutter-bar D and coupling-arm E, especially those of extra length, agreat friction is caused with the ground, causing the machine to drawhard. Besides, it requires a great exertion to raise them with the leverL, or to swing the cutter-bar D upward on its hinge O.

In carrying my invention into effect I employ an equalizer, c, withwhich the whiffletree 0 is attached at r. A plate, '12, having a ,0 slotelongated on a line with the tongue B, is secured to said tongue. Theequalizer c is pivoted in said slot at f, so as to allow it to swing onsaid pivot and to move forward and back therewith. The forward end ofthe draw- 5 rod 0. is pivotally connected with the inside end of theequalizer c in one of a series of holes at said end. The rear end of therod (1 is anchored to the tongue at o. A pulley, as,

is attached to the tongue, and beneath it a- 40 pulley, s, is attachedto the coupling-arm E.

At t' is an arm projecting upward from the fingerbar D. A chain, a, orcableis attached to the outside end of the equalizer in one of a seriesof holes, and from thence passes around 5 the pulleys m s, and attachesin one of a series of holes in the arm '5. Thus by applying draft-powerto the equalizer the machine is propelled, and the weight of the arm Eand bar D is sustained by said draft-power, or so much of the weightthereof as may be desirable, the degree being controlled by changing thepoint of attaching the rod a and chain a with the ends of the equalizer0. By changing the point of attaching the chain a to arm i the degree ofleverage on the finger-bar D 1s altered. This chain may be attacheddirectly to the finger-bar.

The upward movement of the finger-bar D is limited by a stop, 6, on thechain a, which may be advantageous in case of asudden start or spring ofa fractious team.

I am aware that the coupling-arm has been connected by a chain or rod toa movable slide with which the whiflletree was attached, but for adifferent purpose-win, to brace the fin- 6 ger-bar against tilting tothe rearward. In said prior construction no equalizer was em ployed (avery important feature in the present instance) to adjust the leverageof the draftpower in heavy and light grass and on hard smooth ground andsoft or rough ground.

I am also aware that the chain-a in a similar relation with the parts DE s x has been heretofore attached at the forward end to a spiralspring, which spring was attached to the tongue, thus depending upon thestiffness and strength of the spring to sustain the weightofthefingerbar.

An important advantage, among many which need not be herein mentioned,why the leverage of the draft-power is preferable to that of a spring isillustrated by the following facts: The heavier the grass or the harderit cuts the greater the tendency of the finger-bar to hug the ground. Insuch case the draft-strain 8 5 is greater and prevents the finger-barfrom hugging the ground. So, if the wheels A enter a hollow, thedraft-power is increased, and hence an increase in leverage to raise upon the cutter-bar, thus lessening the liability of 0 the guards to enterthe elevated ground in front of them. In brief, so finely can the partsbe adjusted for varying fields and weight of grass in relation to thedraft-power that the leverage of said power on the coupling-arm andfinger-bar automatically adjusts itself or conforms to the neededrequirements as the machine moves around the field. It will further beobserved that the shoe end of the arms E and the shoe end of thefinger-bar (said end of the finger-bar is broken away in the drawings)are both sustained on a like horizontal plane at the same time by thedraftpower.

It will be understood that I do not herein. claim the Stop 6 on thedraftchain a, as such is claimed in another application, Serial No.225,661, filed by me January 27, 1887,

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is Ina mowingmachine,the co1nbination,with the tongue or draft-fra1ne the conplingarm, andthe finger-bar, of the equalizer pivotally connected with saiddraft-frame and capable of moving bodily forward and back thereon, thedraw-rod attached to one end of the equal.-

JOHN C. BLOOM.

Witnesses:

WIZLIAM: M. HALE, NM. HARTY.

